“omiai” Japanese custom in which unattached individuals are introduced to each other to consider the possibility of marriage.

I went one recent evening to a meeting room in Tokyo’s central Shinjuku district where a company named Exeo Japan had arranged chairs and small tables for 30 men and 30 women in two lines facing each other. By the time I turned up, most of the participants had already arrived, and a tense air of expectation filled the air as they eyed each other up.

In fact, the atmosphere and the prevailing silence reminded me of a job interview, and actually that wasn’t far from the reality. Except, of course, that this event was an omiai pati (coupling party), and the potential “jobs” were as husbands or wives.
While similar to speed-dating overseas, the gathering here had something unique that is proving increasingly popular among singles — and especially women who are “marriage hunting.”

source: japantimes